7a. an alternate - and probably better - method is to git clone your "new" drush to your local, perform steps 5-7 on your local, and then commit/push the table.inc file to Pantheon
Having become obsessed with Drush lately, I've assembled some of the most helpful and comprehensive resources for learning drush - what's about, what it does and tips and tricks for best use of the tool. Above all, I cannot recommend highly enough that you dive in and learn Drush, if you haven;t begun already. Your productivity will increase 1000-fold overnight, and you will be a much happier Drupalist.
If you already use drush, and have a resource or tutorial you'd like to add to this list, please drop me a comment below.